Being a working Mom isn’t always easy. Striving for that perfect work life balance is a constant. Believe me there are always things all of us can do better! Constantly struggling to try to get the kids and ourselves taken care of can be exhausting. Exhaustion can be detrimental to not only your physical but also your mental health. If you don’t learn how to take care of yourself to make your life balance the best that it can the exhaustion cycle will continue leading to poor physical and mental health.
Juggling Your Career
The first thing important to finding work life balance is to find a career you love. Then learn how to leave it at work! This doesn’t mean you can’t occasionally check emails (I am still guilty of doing this). What it does mean is you shouldn’t be feeling guilty about the things you are leaving for your oncoming crew, about not staying late, or about not being able to pick up that extra day. I had a previous job where I really struggled with all of the above. Once I was able to detach from my guilt. I was able to realize what I needed to do was attempt to leave work at work. Since I have been doing this there has been an amazing weight off my shoulders.
Find Your Fitness
Second and maybe most important, add in exercise. Work hard at adding in physical activity to your daily routine to help with your physical and mental health. This will help you become more calm and able to handle and address situations better. I recently read an article published by Genesight about what types of physical activity are best for mental health. Yoga, running, cycling and aerobic/gym exercise are at the top of the list. Find your favorite fitness activity and add this into your regular schedule. Do not take no for an answer and tackle this just like every other task you have in front of you!
Fuel Your Body
Eat right, fuel your body right. Also help your family fuel theirs well. I have lots of recipes on my site to help with eating well (some are healthier than others). One of my favorite lunches recently was my Chicken Alfredo with Roasted Zucchini. Eating right can help with mental clarity, making it easier to make decisions at work and home. Meal prepping can help you to plan ahead with healthy meals and snacks for the week. Taking care of yourself first will lead you to make better decisions and help you to handle stressful situations better.
Get Your Rest
It is just as important to get your rest as it is to eat right and exercise. This is often something that is missed in the equation in motherhood! It is just as important for mothers to be sleeping as it is for our children, but we often get the short end of the stick! I’ll sleep when the house is clean, laundry is done and I’ve checked everything off the list. We’ll let me tell you that will be NEVER! There is always something left to do, but don’t let this slide! You will overall feel better and be able to tackle all those things on your list better if you get 7-8 hours of sleep a night!
Keeping The Faith
When I’m asked how I accomplish everything on my plate. I have to give credit where credit is due I wouldn’t be able to do it without my amazing God and Father. And my support system through my faith family. Having a faith and trust in something larger than yourself is truly inspiring. Seeing things come together in ways I would have never imagined has a way of opening your eyes. This also helps you to know you are in the right place doing the right thing. Small signs like coverage showing up for my ambulance shift when I urgently had to leave to be with a family member at the hospital earlier this week is just one example of how I see God working in my life. Having faith helps to keep my mind balanced and reminds me there are so many things out there we don’t have control of that he’s got!
Ultimately finding a work life balance is a personal thing. You have to find a job you can leave at work, or at least set your phone away at times. You also have to energize your body to keep going by continuing to take care of it with the right fuel, exercise and sleep amounts. Keeping the faith will also help you to maintain a positive outlook and remember the reasons why you are working hard. Mental and physical exhaustion doesn’t have to hit you as hard if you take care of yourself. Remember you’ve got this!
